In a historic move, a Manhattan jury has unanimously voted to indict Donald Trump, the first former president in US history to be criminally charged. The exact charges are currently unknown but reportedly relate to providing $130,000 as hush money payment to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 through his disgraced former lawyer Michael Cohen.
Federal prosecutors for the Southern District of New York had previously decided against charging Trump related to this payment back in 2019 despite Cohen's testimony. However, Alvin Bragg, who was funded by far-left extremist donor George Soros during his campaign and is now serving as district attorney for Manhattan, has opted to revive the case and bring charges against the former president.
Trump's attorneys have said that he will fight this "political prosecution" in court. The indictment is expected to influence several other probes that present an acute risk of criminal charges for Trump.
The news of the indictment shocked both Republicans and Democrats alike. Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Mike Pence who are all potential GOP presidential contenders have focused their reaction on district attorney Bragg’s decision; while Democrats see it as long-awaited justice finally being served.
Donald Trump is expected to appear in court this Tuesday where he will face trial over these charges. While there remains uncertainty around what consequences a conviction would have on any presidential ambitions should he choose run again in 2024 or beyond; legal experts say if convicted it would make him ineligible from running for public office again.
This unprecedented moment marks yet another chapter in American political history with implications that could reverberate throughout generations.